Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from The Rookie season 7, episode 11, “Speed.”

The return of one notorious villain inThe Rookieseason 7, episode 11 comes with the introduction of a new one — Molly McCook as Cassie. ABC’s police procedural TV series, created by Alexi Hawley, has featured numerous villains over the years, some more notable and persistent than others, and perhapsBridget Regan’s Monica Stevens is the most tenacious of them all.Just whenThe Rookiecharactersthink they are close to ceasing Monica’s reign of terror for good, she slips between their fingers. However, season 7 might finally be the end of the line for her.

Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen, and Molly McCook as Cassie in The Rookie season 7, episode 11

New episodes ofThe Rookieseason 7 air on Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on ABC. Season 7 is set to have 18 episodes, eight more than season 6.

InThe Rookieseason 7, episode 11, “Speed,“Monica resurfaces after being missing since the season 6 finale.As many will recall, Monica escaped before the LAPD could arrest her in Argentina. Since that moment,The Rookievillainhas been in the wind. Lopez previously mentioned that Monica evaded Interpol in Bolivia sometime before the events of the season 7 premiere. Other than that, though, Monica’s whereabouts have been unknown (until her return in episode 11).

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Episode 11 Introduces The New Character

At the beginningofThe Rookieseason 7, episode 11, the audience learns that Nolan and Celina are going undercover. Their mission is to observe crimes committed on an LA Metro Bus and report them, while wearing plain clothes that make them blend in, of course. So, when the perpetrators exit the bus, Tim and Lucy (who are following close behind) can arrest them. Unfortunately, Nolan and Celina get in over their heads when two men with a bomb take the bus hostage, andone of the vehicle’s passengers is a pregnant woman named Cassie, who Nathan Fillion’s character befriends.

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WhentheRookieseason 7 charactersnegotiate for the release of some hostages, Denise is one of those chosen to leave. However, the police officers soon learn that Cassie isn’t so innocent. In fact,her real name is Denise Summers, and she isn’t really pregnant.Other than that, though, all that the cops know is that Denise is somehow related to the hostage situation.

Bridget Regan as Monica Stevens in The Rookie season 7, episode 11

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“Cassie” Is Working For Monica

The audience is privy to more information about “Cassie” than the characters inThe Rookieseason 7 are. After escaping the bus,Denise retreats to her car, where she calls Monica Stevens.Denise is working for the antagonist (somewhat unwillingly), who seemingly planned out the entire hostage situation just to get access to an ID card of a government employee, who was also on the bus. Denise gets a hold of the man’s wallet before leaving and later transfers the data from the card to Monica.

Even though Denise is apprehended by the end of “Speed,” Monica’s return as a villain inThe Rookieseason 7 suggests we haven’t seen the last of “Cassie.”

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Unfortunately for Denise, the police find her (but not before she gets rid of the aforementioned wallet and the phone she used to talk to Monica) inThe Rookieepisode. Prior to Denise’s capture,Monica reminds her that her money is “contingent on her silence,” as is her child’s life.So, it sounds like Monica threatened Denise’s child, which is why she is working for her. However, getting paid for her devious work is evidently very important to “Cassie,” too.

Even though Denise is apprehended by the end of “Speed,“Monica’s return as a villain inThe Rookieseason 7 suggests we haven’t seen the last of “Cassie.” The LAPD has no concrete evidence connecting Denise to the hostage situation. Andthey have no idea that she is working with Monica.So, it stands to reason that the new character will return in future episodes.

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Molly McCook Previously Starred In Last Man Standing

Molly McCook, who plays “Cassie”/DeniseinThe Rookieseason 7, is no stranger to the TV screen. The actress has guest-starred in a plethora of shows, ranging fromGleein 2010 toNot Dead Yetin 2023. However,McCook is most known for her role as Mandy Baxter-Anderson inLast Man Standing.

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Following theLast Man Standingseason 6 finale, the producers recast the role of Mandy, as Molly Ephraim played the character during the show’s first six seasons. Starting in season 7, McCook took over the role. Aside fromLast Man StandingandThe Rookie, some of McCook’s other credits includeThe RanchandGood Trouble.